Box Score

ROCHESTER, Mich. – Looking for its third straight win on the road in Summit League play, the IUPUI women’s volleyball team could not overcome a .271 hitting percentage and 12.0 blocks from Oakland as the Golden Grizzlies defeated the Jags, 3-0 (23-25, 22-25, 20-25) Tuesday evening at the O’rena.

The loss dropped IUPUI to 11-7 overall and 5-2 in the Summit League, while Oakland improved to 10-8 overall and 3-4 in league play.

Three kills and a pair of aces highlighted an early run that saw IUPUI sprint out to a 6-3 lead in the opening set, before Oakland blocked its way back in front, 10-9. A kill from Kelly Wachtel preceded a trio of Golden Grizzlies errors capping off a brief four-point surge that flipped the Jags deficit into a three-point lead.

Oakland fought back and used its block again to re-establish a four-point lead at 20-16, but the Jags rallied this time using two block assists from the duo of Kelsey Hoefer and Bethany Fogler, two kills from Moriah Fair and a kill from Kaitlyn Hickey to knot the score at 21. Five side outs ensued, giving Oakland set point at 24-23, and an Allia Knight kill finished off a 25-23 first-set win for the Golden Grizzlies.

The lead fluctuated several times early in set two until a quick three-point IUPUI surge fueled by two Oakland errors and a Wachtel kill placed the Jags in front, 17-14. However, OU retaliated capturing eight of the next 10 points to jump in front, 22-19. That three-point lead held as the Golden Grizzlies took the second set, 25-22.

Out of the break, two Fair kills paired with three Oakland errors helped the Jags establish an 8-4 lead, but Oakland again bounced back by winning five of the next six points to reverse its deficit into a one-point advantage, 10-9, forcing head coach Steve Payne to burn his first timeout of the set. Seven ties followed, with the last at 20, but Oakland closed out the set with a five-point run to finish off a 25-20 third-set win.

Fair led the Jaguars with 14 kills and hit .355, but she was the only IUPUI player to record more than six kills and hit over .270.

Defensively, Beth Howard led the squad with 16 digs, while Fogler tallied a team-best five blocks.

IUPUI continues its five-match road trip on Saturday, Oct. 6, when it heads to Macomb, Ill., to face Western Illinois at 8 p.m. ET.